Grain threshing device

ABSTRACT

A grain threshing device ( 10 ) comprising a receptacle ( 12 ) or receiving a portion of crop head. The receptacle ( 12 ) has a plurality of longitudinal ribs ( 30 ) on inner surfaces. One or more flexible arm members ( 28 ) are arranged on a rotating shaft ( 22 ) within the receptacle ( 12 ) such that the flexible arm members ( 28 ) strike the ribs ( 30 ) during rotation. The action of the flexible arm members ( 28 ) and ribs ( 30 ) on the crop head within the receptacle ( 12 ) separates the grain from the crop head.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a grain threshing device.

Various types of machinery are used for the purpose of threshing grain.A known problem which many types of such machinery is that due to themechanical arrangement of the threshing apparatus, the grain can becracked during the threshing process.

Also, it is often necessary in the production of grain crops to extractsmall quantities of grain before harvest in order to have them tested.The testing process provides information on a range of characteristicsof the grain and is used to determine the value of the crop. However, asthe equipment available to extract grain is generally in the form ofheavy machinery designed to extract the grain in large quantities, it istherefore relatively inefficient to move this equipment between a numberof crops to extract the small amount of grain required for testingpurposes.

The present invention provides an improved device for threshing grainand a portable grain thresher utilising the improved device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provideda grain threshing device comprising:

a receptacle arranged to receive a portion of crop head, the receptaclehaving a plurality of longitudinal ribs on inner surfaces thereof;

a shaft rotatably mounted within the receptacle; and

one or more flexible arm members extending from the shaft, the armmembers being arranged to strike the longitudinal ribs upon rotation ofthe shaft;

wherein rotation of the shaft and the flexible arm members causes thearm members to strike the crop head in the receptacle to separate thegrain from the crop head.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there isprovided a portable grain thresher comprising:

a portable receptacle arranged to receive a portion of crop head, thereceptacle having a plurality of longitudinal ribs on inner surfacesthereof;

a shaft rotatably mounted within the receptacle, the shaft having an endthereof engageable with a portable drive means; and

one or more flexible arm members extending from the shaft, the armmembers being arranged to strike the longitudinal ribs upon rotation ofthe shaft;

wherein the portable drive means causes rotation of the shaft and thearm members such that the arm members strike the crop head in thereceptacle to separate the grain from the crop head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of a grain threshing device inaccordance with the present invention with a portion of the vessel cutaway;

FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of a portable grain thresher inaccordance with the second aspect of the present invention with aportion of the vessel cut away;

FIG. 3 is an upper perspective of an alternative embodiment of aportable grain thresher in accordance with the second aspect of thepresent invention with a portion of the vessel cut away; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the portable grain thresher of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a grain threshing device 10. Thegrain threshing device 10 comprises a receptacle 12 in the form of acylindrical vessel 14. The cylindrical vessel 14 includes a first end 18through which grain crop head may be received and a suitably sized mesh24 across an open second end 20.

The grain threshing device 10 includes a rotatably mounted shaft 22arranged to extend along a central longitudinal axis of the cylindricalvessel 14 from the first end 18 to the second end 20.

The shaft 22 is provided with a mounting means 16 for securing aplurality of flexible arm members 28 to the shaft 22. The mounting means16 comprises an elongate member 17 having a longitudinal bore 19 toreceive the shaft 22. The elongate member 17 includes a plurality oftransversely extending portions 29. The transversely extending portions29 are arranged in pairs such that the pairs of transversely extendingportions 29 extend outwardly from opposed sides of the elongate member17. The transversely extending portions may be arranged such that eachpair of transversely extending portions 29 are angularly offset fromadjacent pairs of transversely extending portions 29 on the shaft 22.Each arm member 28 is secured to one of the transversely extendingportions 29 such that the arm members 28 are arranged to extendtransversely to the shaft member 22. The arm members 28 are in the formof flat elongate strips constructed of a flexible material such asrubber and are secured to the transversely extending portions 29 by anysuitable means, such as by bolts 40 provided adjacent outer ends of thetransversely extending portions 29 as shown in FIG. 1.

The cylindrical vessel 14 is also provided with a plurality of inwardlyprotruding ribs 30. The inwardly protruding ribs 30 are arrangedlongitudinally at regular angular intervals around the inner surface ofthe cylindrical vessel 14. The arrangement of the inwardly protrudingribs 30 and the arm members 28 is such that outer ends of the armmembers 28 strike the inwardly protruding ribs 30 when the shaft 22 isrotated. The ribs 30 in the embodiment shown have a generally triangulartransverse cross section.

The shaft 22 is arranged to be engageable with a drive means (notshown). The drive means may be any device suitable for rotating theshaft 22.

The mesh 24 may also be removable from the cylindrical vessel 14 so thatdifferent sized mesh 24 may be used for different grain crops.

A collecting vessel (not shown in FIG. 1) is provided below the mesh 24to collect the separated grain.

FIGS. 2 to 4 show a portable threshing device 10 in accordance with theinvention where like numerals denote like parts.

The cylindrical vessel 14 of the portable grain thresher 10 comprises areceptacle 12 which is constructed to be of a size and weight such thatit can be easily carried to various locations at which a sample of cropneeds to be extracted. The receptacle 12 has a removable lid 26 at thefirst end 18.

A first end of the shaft 22 is arranged to extend through a hole 27provided in the lid 26, when the lid 26 is secured to the cylindricalvessel 14. The shaft 22 is rotatably secured adjacent a second endthereof within a suitably sized aperture provided within the mesh 24.

The arm members 28 are secured directly to the shaft 22 in theembodiment shown in FIG. 2 by securing means 29 and are angularly offsetrelative to each other. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, thearm members 28 are secured to a mounting means 16 mounted on the shaft22. The mounting means 16 is in the form of a rectangular plate member38. The arm members 28 are secured to a surface of the rectangular platemember 38 by bolts 40.

The second end of the shaft 22 is arranged to be engageable with aportable drive means (not shown). The portable drive means may be in theform of a cordless drill. The second end 20 of the cylindrical vessel 14may also be provided with a narrowed portion 32. The narrowed portion 32is arranged such that it may be received within a collecting vessel 36as shown in FIG. 3. The narrowed portion 32 and an upper edge of thecollection vessel 36 are preferably provided with locking means 42 sothat the vessel 14 may be secured to the collection vessel 36 in use.

In use, crop head is removed and placed into the cylindrical vessel 14.The drive means is secured to the first end of the shaft 22 andactivated to rotate the shaft 22 and the flexible arm members 28. Theaction of the flexible arm members 28 striking the crop head and theribs 30 act to thresh the crop head. The separated grain then fallsthrough the mesh 24 and into the collecting vessel. Any chaff which issmall enough to pass through the mesh 24 can be removed by pouring thegrain and chaff from the collecting vessel into a further vessel andallowing the wind to blow away the lighter chaff.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addresseeare deemed to be within the scope of the present invention

1. A grain threshing device characterised by comprising: a receptacle arranged to receive a portion of crop head, the receptacle having a plurality of longitudinal ribs on inner surfaces thereof; a shaft rotatably mounted within the receptacle; and one or more flexible arm members extending from the shaft, the arm members being arranged to strike the longitudinal ribs upon rotation of the shaft; wherein rotation of the shaft and the flexible arm members causes the arm members to strike the crop head in the receptacle to separate the grain from the crop head.
 2. A grain threshing device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the receptacle comprises a cylindrical vessel and the shaft is rotatably mounted to extend along a central longitudinal axis of the cylindrical vessel.
 3. A grain threshing device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the flexible arm members are arranged to extend transversely to the shaft.
 4. A grain threshing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that flexible arm members comprise flat elongate strips wherein the distal ends of the elongate strips are arranged to strike the ribs in use.
 5. A grain threshing device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a removable lid is provided at a first end of the receptacle, through which the crop head is inserted into the receptacle, and a mesh is provided across an open second end of the receptacle, through which the threshed grain exits the receptacle.
 6. A grain threshing device as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the mesh is removable such that different mesh sizes may be used for different grain crops.
 7. A grain threshing device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a mounting means is provided having a longitudinal bore within which the shaft is received, the flexible arm members being secured to the mounting means.
 8. A grain threshing device as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the mounting means comprises an elongate member having a plurality of transversely extending portions extending outwardly from opposed sides of the elongate member, the flexible arm members being secured to the transversely extending portions.
 9. A grain threshing device as claimed in 7, characterised in that the mounting means comprises a rectangular plate member, the flexible arm members being secured to a surface of the rectangular plate member.
 10. A grain threshing device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the ribs are arranged at regular angular intervals around the inner surface of the receptacle.
 11. A grain threshing device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the ribs have a generally triangular transverse cross section.
 12. A portable grain thresher characterised by comprising: a portable receptacle arranged to receive a portion of crop head, the receptacle having a plurality of longitudinal ribs on inner surfaces thereof; a shaft rotatably mounted within the receptacle, the shaft having an end thereof engageable with a portable drive means; and one or more flexible arm members extending from the shaft, the arm members being arranged to strike the longitudinal ribs upon rotation of the shaft; wherein the portable drive means causes rotation of the shaft and the arm members such that the arm members strike the crop head in the receptacle to separate the grain from the crop head.
 13. A portable grain thresher as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that the receptacle comprises a cylindrical vessel and the shaft is rotatably mounted to extend along a central longitudinal axis of the cylindrical vessel.
 14. A portable grain thresher as claimed in claim 12 or 13, characterised in that the flexible arm members are arranged to extend transversely to the shaft.
 15. A portable grain thresher as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, characterised in that flexible arm members comprise flat elongate strips wherein the distal ends of the elongate strips are arranged to strike the ribs in use.
 16. A portable grain thresher as claimed in any one claims 12 to 15, characterised in that a removable lid is provided at a first end of the receptacle, through which the crop head is inserted into the receptacle, and a mesh is provided across an open second end of the receptacle, through which the threshed grain exits the receptacle.
 17. A portable grain thresher as claimed in claim 16, characterised in that the mesh is removable such that different mesh sizes may be used for different grain crops.
 18. A portable grain thresher as claimed in claim 16 or 17, characterised in that the shaft is rotatably secured adjacent a first end thereof within a hole in the removable lid and rotatably secured adjacent a second end thereof within an aperture in the mesh.
 19. A portable grain thresher as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the second end of the receptacle is provided with a narrowed portion, the narrowed portion being arranged to be received within a collection vessel.
 20. A portable grain thresher as claimed in claim 19, wherein locking means are provided on the narrowed portion and an upper edge of the collection vessel to removably secure the receptacle to the collection vessel.
 21. A portable grain thresher as claimed in any one claims 12 to 20, characterised in that a mounting means is provided, the mounting means having a longitudinal bore within which the shaft is received and the flexible arm members being secured to the mounting means.
 22. A portable grain thresher as claimed in claim 21, characterised in that the mounting means comprises an elongate member having a plurality of transversely extending portions extending outward from opposed sides of the elongate member, the flexible arm members being secured to the transversely extending portions.
 23. A portable grain thresher as claimed in 21, characterised in that the mounting means comprises a rectangular plate member, the flexible arm members being secured to a surface of the rectangular plate member.
 24. A portable grain thresher as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 23, characterised in that the ribs are arranged at regular angular intervals around the inner surface of the receptacle.
 25. A portable grain thresher as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 24, characterised in that the ribs have a generally triangular transverse cross section. 